


The Letter

by Shinku_Tsuuki



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Big Sister Tifa, Ficlet, I REGRET NOTHING, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Oneshot, Post Advent Children
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-02
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-11 03:41:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5612602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shinku_Tsuuki/pseuds/Shinku_Tsuuki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It all started with a letter from… an ‘unknown’ man.</p><p>.</p><p>Ooookay. “…sure. What’s your name?”</p><p>The man put his index finger in front of his mouth. “I don’t think he would need that after he read the letter.” He turned his back, walking out from the bar while saying loudly, “Even if morrow is a barren promise, nothing shall forestall my return.”</p><p>Tifa could do nothing but stare.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Letter

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing but this fic. My finger just moved by themselves and after this was finished I just...
> 
> Well. On with the story, guys. /orz

It all started with a letter from… an ‘unknown’ man.

 

**.**

 

_“Excuse me.”_

_Tifa turned to see an unknown redhead in red leather coat. His startling blue eyes reminded her of…_

_“Uh, yes? Can I help you?”_

_The man smiled slightly, showing her a white envelope in his black-gloved left hand. “Can you give this to Cloud?”_

_That made her frown. “Do you know him?”_

_“We have… mutual friends.”_

Ooookay _. “…sure. What’s your name?”_

_The man put his index finger in front of his mouth. “I don’t think he would need that after he read the letter.” He turned his back, walking out from the bar while saying loudly, “Even if morrow is a barren promise, nothing shall forestall my return.”_

_Tifa could do nothing but stare._

**.**

 

And that’s why Cloud was blinking blankly; dumbfounded by the time Tifa finished her recounting of her meeting with that _suspicious_ man. “So, he gave you this letter,” he showed her a neatly folded paper from the white envelope, “and he didn’t tell you his name, but reciting such poem instead?”

 

“Wait. That was a poem?”

 

Cloud ignored Tifa’s question and started reading the letter. His flat, stoic face grew pale as he finished reading—something that screamed **‘DANGER’** to Tifa. “What’s wrong, Cloud? Is it a threat or—“

 

“Tifa.” The tone Cloud used was so alarming that nearly gave Tifa a heart attack. Cloud had never been this scared ever since she met him as a-fake-SOLDIER. He didn’t give her a chance to reply, though. “Do you have a materia or two that worked well against Hell Firaga? I need them. Now.”

 

After that, Cloud left in a hurry, riding Fenrir toward the Edge alone with a lot of thunder-based materias in hand. When Reno and Rude came several minutes later, she asked them about who that redhead in red coat was and found them shocked as hell afterward.

 

Yep, something was amiss here about that suspicious man.

 

“You guys know him, right?”

 

For the first time since she met them, Rude looked so pale. He said nothing and let Reno answered everything. “Uh, we knew him alright. He is—was?—someone we’ve known for a long time and was famous for his temper and loved to roast cadets with his firaga and—“

 

“Wait. He _was_ a **SOLDIER**?”

 

“—but look it here, Miss! He had been marked as MIA even before Shin-Ra was ruined and—“

 

“Does Cloud know him _well_?”

 

Reno and Rude exchanged a knowing glance. After a second that seemed forever, Reno finally spoke again, “He was known as Genesis Rhapsodos, one of the Holy Trio aside from Sephiroth and Angeal Hewley. And yeah—Cloud knew him too well.”

 

Tifa looked at them with a stare that could freeze hell over and over again. “Tell me more about this guy and I’ll give you both free meals three day straight.”

 

**.**

 

“Should I greet you as a cadet?”

 

The redhead chuckled, waving his hand as a ‘no’ to Cloud’s question. The blond sighed tiredly. “After disappearing on what seemed like forever, you chose this moment to make appearance again? Seriously, Genesis?”

 

Genesis raised one of his eyebrows. “Come on, Cloud. It’s not like a problem—“

 

“It _is_ a problem, actually.”

 

“—I just want to see you.” Genesis took a long breath. “After the whole ‘ _Top Three First Class SOLDIER Went Mad_ ’ fiasco, I don’t think someone I know still alive except you.”

 

Cloud rolled his eyes as he sat behind Genesis’ back. “The Turks are still there. Even Tseng, Reno…”

 

Genesis shook his head. “Do I know them _well_?”

 

“You know them longer than I know you.”

 

“Knowing someone longer than another _doesn’t mean_ you know them better than other, Cloud.”

 

Cloud said nothing as Genesis leaned over his back. He could feel the man’s stiff shoulders relaxed against him. “Everyone who was close to me is gone. Everyone, except you.”

 

It was starting to rain, by the way.

 

“Stay beside me until my time’s up, Cloud.”

 

A beat, and, “D-did you just proposing to me?” was said with a rare, shocked face.

 

Even though Cloud couldn’t see him, he knew that Genesis was grinning ear to ear behind him.

 

Tifa’s going to go berserk if she knew about this.

 

Cloud could only hope that there wouldn’t be a war against these two. The world didn’t need a second hell coming, thank you very much.

 

**.**

 

At the 7th Heaven Bar, though, Rude and Reno were eating their meals with cold sweat under Tifa’s glare. Said girl herself was cleaning the glassware with too much force until it cracked in her hands. Denzel and Marlene, who knew nothing about the whole fiasco, were hiding on the second floor at the sight of furious Tifa.

 

“Do you think she is jealous, Rude?” Reno whispered with a very low voice so that the girl in question wouldn’t hear them. Rude stiffened, but shrugged nonetheless.

 

Behind the counter, Tifa slammed the table. “I am _not_ jealous.”

 

 _Crap. She heard us_ was what Reno’s look could be translated into. He was ready to ditch Rude behind just in case if Tifa suddenly went berserk, but after she looked worried more than furious, he was assured that nothing dangerous would happen. “I’m not jealous, Reno. Just… worried. For Cloud. We grew up together and he was like a brother to me. Do you even know the feeling of someone whose close sibling is going to be taken away by a _random_ man—“

 

“Um, Genesis is not a random man, y’know.”

 

“—sorry. A man I didn’t know he even exists—“

 

Reno gave up on providing information about Genesis’ fame at this point.

 

“—I don’t want my brother _to get married_ this fast and leave me alone as single forever!”

 

…okay. That was… _unexpected_. Eh, but wait a second—“What did you just say?” Reno’s eyes widened as Tifa’s words were finished processed in his mind. “Who’s going to get married to whom?”

 

Tifa rolled her eyes. “I saw him hiding a red box behind his back—it’s a ring inside, I think, I thought it was a dangerous materia though—when he gave me this letter, you know.”

 

Reno spluttered. He couldn’t even hold his spoon properly now.

 

Zack was going to terrorize him in his dream from now on—Reno was sure of it.

 

**.**

 

**[End]**

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this. Really. /sobs
> 
> p.s: please forgive me--I can't write Reno's part with his usual tic yo. /eh


End file.
